This invention relates generally to the hydrolysis of keratinaceous material, but more specifically pertains to the continuous processing of keratinaceous material for effecting its sustained hydrolyzation.
In the prior art apparatuses and processes for effecting hydrolyzation of materials, including feathers, normally such processes incorporate structures that provide for the batch handling of such material to accomplish this desired result. One can readily see that the problem with the batch type of operation is that a substantial amount of time is required to load the standard vessel in which the feathers or other material are treated, and wherein the material may then be subjected to some agitation, before the feathers are either transferred to another vessel, or subjected to build up of heat and consequent pressure within that same vessel to effect their desired hydrolysis. Thus, and as can be readily understood, the necessary time for effecting the entire batch process in achieving the necessary temperature and pressure elevation, and chemical reaction, is substantial, and as is well known in the art, typically it may take as much as thirty minutes to load the standard vessel employed in this type of an operation, a quarter hour to build up the desired temperature and pressure through the indirect application of heat, an additional half hour or more at the desired temperature and pressure within the vessel to then accomplish the hydrolyzation process, followed by the pressure and temperature reduction period which may last as long as an hour before the batch of hydrolyzed feathers can be discharged or otherwise removed. Following this, such hydrolyzed material is then dried by the further application of heat. Hence, the batch process is ordinarily slow, cumbersome, and inefficient to the extent that it cannot readily submit to automation, and furthermore, is liable to produce a variation in the degree of hydrolyzation of the end product obtained because of the variableness of the heat treatment that occurs during the extended exposure time.
An example of an apparatus and its method of operation for the conversion of feathers by way of hydrolysis is shown in the United States patent to Mayer, U.S. Pat. No. 2,702,245. In this patent there is described the concept that feathers can be steam treated by indirect application of heat to wet feathers in the batch process, with some agitation, while consuming a quantity of time in excess of at least one and one-half hours.
Another example of a partial batch type process for preparing feathers for hydrolyzation is shown in my earlier U.S. Pat. No. 3,830,850, which discloses means for shredding feathers mechanically into pieces of relatively small size that are then rendered rather pumpable if carried within a certain quantity of water. But, the crushed feather pieces are not presoftened, are not heat treated within the process, and in addition, it has been found that the shredding process requires a significant amount of power that renders the process rather uneconomical.
The U.S. patent to Speer, U.S. Pat. No. 3,272,632, discloses an apparatus and its process of use in converting offal and feathers for further commercial usage. This patent describes the process in which poultry by-products, such as offal, blood, and feathers are converted into a usable food product by subjecting them to heat, or cooking, in a hot oil bath and at elevated temperatures. While this type of technique produces a usable end product, quality control is rather difficult to maintain, and in addition, the operation is performed multi stepped in nature, and for reasons previously explained, is rather uneconomical and inefficient.
The U.S. patent to Harrington, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 3,617,313, discloses the hydrolyzing process in which feathers are compressed and formed in a continuous flow into a plug that is designed to seal the infeed to the hydrolyzing retort so as to prevent the escape of retort pressure, and therein effecting somewhat of hydrolyzation in a form of continuous flow. Such infeed sealing, however, is very much dependant upon the physical characteristics of the feathers being substantially undiluted by other material such as blood or offal. And, since such dilution of raw material, such as feathers, by this type of offal is relatively common, the infeed seal of this type of hydrolyzing apparatus is very difficult to maintain consistently, and cannot be maintained on all materials that are typically included within the offal hydrolyzing process, and therefore, substantially limits the applicability of the process defined.
Various other U.S. patents, prior in issuance, and that disclose variations in the methods and apparatuses for hydrolyzing cellulostic materials, including keratinaceous materials and vegetable substances, are shown in the earlier U.S. patents to Wallace, U.S. Pat. No. 2,681,871, Zebarth et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,475,178, Wallace et al, U.S. Pat. No. 2,739,086, Shaw, U.S. Pat. No. 833,422, Maybee, U.S. Pat. No. 1,565,282, Docken, U.S. Pat. No. 3,071,468, and the prior U.S. patent to Geiger et al, U.S. Pat. No. 695,878.
It is also known that a process is used wherein feathers are converted into a usable product, as by way of hydrolyzation, but requires two steps in its performance. In the initial step, which is inherently batch in nature, the wet feathers are subjected to an intermediate pressure and temperature but without any agitation, in order to convert them into the pumpable consistency, while in the second step, the pressurized feathers are batch pumped into an agitated hydrolyzing retort, for batch hydrolyzation at elevated temperatures and pressure. This process, however, maintains a batching type of operation at least in its initial stages where the feathers are rendered more flowable, and therefore, it is not a fully continuous operation, cannot be readily automated because of the pretreating process performed upon the feathers; and in addition, because of the variable time of retention of the feathers under pressure and heat that is inherent in a first step of this nature, the extended vessel unloading time of the initial batch is likely to produce some if not substantial variation in the end product derived and before it is flowed into the hydrolyzing retort.
It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide a fully continuous process for the production of usable food products from feathers, hair, nails, horns, hooves, and any other related keratinaceous materials.
It is another object of this invention to provide a fully continuous process for the production of usable food products from feathers, and other related keratinaceous materials, all with improved efficiency, while yielding a product having substantially improved nutritional value.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a fully continuous process wherein feathers, hair, and other keratinaceous materials can be converted, at high efficiency, and under very controllable conditions, in combination with other poultry and animal by-products such as blood, offal, and the like, into a combination of food products having high nourshing value.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a continuous process for hydrolyzing keratinaceous products, such as feathers, through the agency of interrelated fluidizing and hydrolyzing vessels that provide for the continuous flow of the hydrolyzing material through such apparatus without a significant increase in the heat and pressure required during processing.
Yet another object of this invention is the provision of apparatus for hydrolyzing feathers, or the like, wherein both fluidizing and hydrolyzing vessels are interconnected by a pump means that effectively regulates the flow of the hydrolyzing product while at the same time maintaining consistency in the apparatus environment, thereby assuring quality control.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved method for hydrolyzing feathers, or other keratinaceous materials, through the application of violent agitation of said products at least in its fluidizing vessel, and perhaps also within the connecting hydrolyzing vessel, thus greatly reducing the time required for hydrolization at a given pressure and temperature.
Still another object of this invention is the provision of apparatus for use in the processing of hydrolyzable materials, and wherein such materials are rendered significantly fluidized by the products being wilted and reduced into significantly smaller components for enhancing the product flowage through the operating apparatus.
Still an additional object of this invention is the assembly of hydrolyzing apparatus from a convenient arrangement of available vessels and pumps, but yet which provides for the continuous processing, as distinguished from the batch type processing, as is known in the art, for effecting sustained product hydrolyzation.
Another object of this invention is to provide a hydrolyzing apparatus and process that requires a minimum of supervision during its performance, but at the same time, and due to the continuity of its operations, assures highly effective quality control of the resultant hydrolyzed end product.
These and other objects will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the summary of this invention, and upon undertaking the study of the description of the preferred embodiment, in view of its drawings.